Bar J Wranglers scheduled to return to Kuna in October

The Bar J Wranglers, who sold out a performance at the Kuna Performing Arts Center in October, will be returning to Kuna this October.
Because Bar J proved so popular in Kuna last year, organizers are considering a second show, KPAC Events Council member Marci Durrant told Kuna school board members this month.
Bar J Wranglers, based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., perform for 700 people nightly at the acclaimed Bar J Chuckwagon in Jackson Hole. During their off-season, the Wranglers perform all over the world with a unique combination of western music and comedy.
Bar J performed to rave reviews last year, one of the first big shows put on at the new auditorium at Kuna High School.
Tentatively, Bar J Wranglers is scheduled to perform in Kuna Oct. 19 and possibly 20.
In addition, Durrant announced that the KPAC Events Council will be bringing back the Summer Showcase sometime in August.
Then in September, Ada County Commissioner Vern Bisterfeldt is scheduled to give a lecture and discussion.
In December, the Meridian Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to perform a Christmas program in Kuna.

Rep. Labrador helps Kuna man get his grandfather's WWII medals

The family of World War II veteran Pfc. Charles Lenz was presented with a series of medals earned by Lenz for his military service.
U.S. Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, presented Lenz’s family with the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal & Bronze Star Attachment, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII, Expert Badge, Carbine Bar, and Rifle Bar.
The presentation of Military Decorations was held May 18 at Meridian City Hall.
Charles Lenz’s grandson, Matt Lenz, of Kuna, who is Quartermaster for Kuna VFW Post 7019, had been researching his grandfather’s military history and was running into a lot of brick walls.
Matt Lenz called Labrador’s office to see if they could help him obtain his grandfather’s medals and documents from the National Archives.
Matt Lenz believes that his grandfather went to his grave never knowing he had been awarded the Bronze Star, because none of his sons or daughters knew about it and Charles Lenz had only one medal, the Purple Heart, in his possession at the time he died.

The Zone after-school program in Kuna wraps up a successful year

The Zone after-school program in Kuna is wrapping up a successful and busy year.
Since the beginning of the school year, The Zone had 1,500 individual visits, with 194 students having checked in at least once, according to Zone director John Hisel III.
During the winter, as many as 100 to 125 students will visit The Zone, with about 75 kids coming in the nicer weather.
Even though the weather was nice last Friday, dozens of students poured into The Zone, which held a “Safety Day” for the students, complete with a visit from the local police department, a barbecue courtesy of Paul’s Market and a bounce house that took up what usually serves as The Zone’s homework room.
“I like how we have all the fun games that I can’t get at my house,” said Curtis Abel, a Zone regular. “Like, pool tables, the gumball machine, air hockey.”
The Zone, housed in the Kuna Life Church building across the street from Kuna High School and right next to Reed Elementary, is benefiting this year from a pair of grants, one a $34,500 grant from the Idaho Department of Juvenile Justice and another $10,000 grant from the Fred Meyer grocery store chain. Because of a lack of funds, The Zone was forced to shut down during the 2009-10 school year, but reopened in September 2010.
The Zone, open from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school year, gives kids a fun and safe place to hang out after school.

Melba levy vote close but not subject to automatic recall

As part of the new election consolidation legislation passed by the state Legislature this year, House Bill 275 expanded the rules for a recount to include all “supporters or opponents to all other ballot measures.”
Anyone “desiring a recount may apply to the county clerk within twenty (20) days of the canvass of said election by the board of county commissioners,” according to the new Idaho Code, Title 34-2301. The new legislation also contains an “emergency” clause, meaning it became effective immediately.
The Canyon County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to canvass the election results on Wednesday morning, May 25. That means that anyone who wishes to request a recount of the results must do so within 20 days of May 25.
It will cost the applicant $100 per precinct for which the recount request is made.
Although the unofficial results show only two votes separating the yes and no votes, the Melba supplemental levy election does not qualify for an automatic recount.
An automatic recount can be requested only “if … the difference between the yes and no votes on a measure, is less than or equal to one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of the total votes cast for that office,” according to the new state law.
In this case, two votes out of 596 votes equals one-third of one percent (0.336 percent).

Red Eye Saloon in Kuna should be back open in June

The Red Eye Saloon should be back open in the next couple of weeks, said owner Swede Godfrey. The popular Main Street bar is temporarily closed for renovations and repairs. Godfrey took back ownership of the bar at the beginning of May from Hoss and Khaseta Grigg, who bought it from Godfrey in 2006, when Godfrey and business partner Greg Nelson built and opened up The Creekside. Nelson becomes the sole owner of Creekside, and Godfrey goes back to being the sole owner of the Red Eye. Khaseta Grigg will continue to work at the Red Eye as the manager, Godfrey said.
“We’ll run it about the same as before,” said Godfrey, who bought the Red Eye 40 years ago, in 1971. “We want to keep the same customers coming in as before.”

City of Kuna gears up for budget season

A firm has approached the city with an interest in bidding for the city’s prosecutorial services, according to Kuna Mayor Scott Dowdy.
Currently, the city contracts with the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to prosecute cases that occur within Kuna city limits. The contract amount for 2010-11 was $49,209.
Kuna City Council members are tentatively scheduled to hear from the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office about next year’s contract on Tuesday, June 21, during the regular City Council meeting.
The city is getting ready to prepare next year’s budget, which must be certified by Sept. 8. The city’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
City Treasurer John Marsh has tentatively scheduled to following budget hearings:
• Monday, June 20, 5:30 p.m.: general fund revenue forecasts, solid waste fund revenue.
• Tuesday, June 21, 7 p.m.: Ada County Sheriff’s contract, Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s contract.
• Monday, June 27, 5:30 p.m.: general fund labor and benefits; general fund operating expenses; solid waste fund expenses; latecomers fund; well mitigation fund.
• Monday, July 11, 5:30 p.m.: water fund, sewer fund, LID fund, irrigation fund, grant fund, City Council approval of tentative budget.
• Tuesday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.: Budget public hearing, with final approval.

Check out Kuna High School's annual awards assembly tomorrow

Kuna High School will be holding its annual Oskars Academic Awards Assembly tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18, at 10:25 a.m., in the Kuna High School gym. Following an Academy Awards format, this assembly will honor outstanding students, with nominees and “Oskar” winners in each subject area. Also honored will be academic talents, a presentation of scholarship winners, students with perfect attendance, scholar-athletes, and students who have received academic awards throughout they year. The assembly will end with the awarding of the Teacher and Staff of the Year awards and the prestigious Mr. and Miss KHS award. The community is welcome to attend.

'One Night on Broadway' this week at Kuna High

The Kuna High School Choirs will present, “One Night on Broadway,” a musical review on Monday and Tuesday, May 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. in the Kuna Performing Arts Center at the high school, 637 E. Deer Flat Road. Tickets are $4.75 each including the online processing fee. They are available at www.kunaschools.org.

Craig’s List: The haven for dirtbags and criminals

Received from the Meridian Police Department today:
Meridian Police Make Burglary Arrest; Ask for Public’s Help
The Meridian Police Impact Team arrested Venyamin “Ben” ELIKH (18) of Meridian along with three (3) juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18 for several residential burglaries.
The Impact Team is in its beginning phases and was made possible with a COPS Hiring Grant awarded to the Meridian Police Department. The Team is being developed to focus on specific criminal problems facing the Meridian community.
The Meridian Police Department believes this team of burglars targeted residences throughout the Treasure Valley.
The burglars would canvas neighborhoods handing out flyers for a lost dog and would knock on doors of residences. If someone answered the door they would tell them the story of the lost dog and hand them the flyer. If no one answered the door they would then check for an easy way into the house, such as an unlocked door, but at times they would force entry.
ELIKH and the others stole electronics such as computers and I-pods, cash, credit cards and really focused on gaming systems. They would then sell or trade the items through Craig’s List.
The group is believed to have been driving three (3) different vehicles. They were a grey 2003 Chevrolet Astro Van; a green 1995 Chevrolet Suburban; and a white 2000 Toyota Eco.
If you purchased anything from ELIKH or if you have one of the flyers distributed by the group or any other information in these burglaries, please contact Sgt. Stokes or Detectives Stoffle or Babcock at 888-6678.

Kuna has a great opportunity with Hubbard Reservoir

Did you happen to see the special on PBS the other night about the life and work of Frederick Law Olmsted? He was a landscape architect and urban park planner in the mid- to late-1800s. He’s most famous for his work on New York City’s Central Park.
Once he became famous, he was commissioned to do hundreds of urban parks all across the United States, including parks in Portland, Ore., and in Seattle.
He also designed Seneca Park in Rochester, N.Y., where my family and I lived for five years before moving to Kuna. The paper I worked for, the Democrat & Chronicle, did a big story on Olmsted and how he designed Seneca Park.
As I was watching the PBS special, Hubbard Reservoir kept coming to mind.
You may have seen from time to time articles in the Kuna Melba News about Hubbard Reservoir and the group Friends of the Hubbard Reservoir.
The goal of Friends of Hubbard Reservoir is to elevate the public’s awareness of the vast potential held by Hubbard Reservoir.
The vision is to create what would be Ada County’s largest county park, a 377-acre recreation area just east of Kuna.
David R. Hubbard, the brother-in-law of fellow Kuna settler F.H. Teed, served on the board of directors of the Boise Valley Irrigation Association in the early 1900s, according to “Patterns of the Past: The Ada County Historic Site Inventory,” a book published by Ada County. Around the time of the approval of the Boise Project to bring irrigation water to the Boise Valley, Hubbard signed a contract to build several reservoirs in southern Ada County, according to the book. The contracting organization was the Idaho Lateral and Canal Company, organized mainly by subscription pledges of prospective water users. In addition to Hubbard Lake, Hubbard’s company was to build Painter Lake, Kuna Lake, Watkins Lake, Catherine Lake and Rawson Lake. The book states that all of the lakes would be connected by laterals. The book also states that all of the lakes, except for Rawson Lake, were actually built.
But then the project was dropped for fear of interfering with the larger Boise Project plans to irrigate the entire valley. All of the lakes later disappeared except for Hubbard Reservoir.
According to Ada County Parks & Waterways, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation purchased the facility in 1911 as part of the Boise Project. It is an earthfill structure 23 feet high creating a reservoir area of 450 acres with an active capacity of about 4,000 acre-feet. Water is delivered to the reservoir by the New York Canal. The dam and reservoir are operated and maintained by the Boise Project Board of Control as a reregulating facility for irrigation water deliveries in the adjacent area. It also provides emergency short-term storage for dewatering the New York Canal should a failure in the canal occur downstream.
Friends of Hubbard Reservoir has been working for the past couple of years, with
plans for the future that include a large parking lot, restrooms, an interpretive center, dedicated wildlife areas, paved walking and biking paths and regular environmental and wildlife education programs on the site.
Friends of Hubbard Reservoir encourages local government, business, schools and citizens to donate funds and time to improve the accessibility to and use of the site. There is enormous potential here for a beautiful nature preserve, strategically located in the middle of what will eventually be large housing developments, according to Parks & Waterways.
So back to Olmsted. I agree that this whole area one day will be covered with housing developments, for good or for bad.
I think Ada County and the city of Kuna, along with the city of Meridian, have an incredible opportunity in this moment to create what could become an Olmsted-like shining amenity for the entire region.
I suspect we’ll find out what the next plans are at the Hubbard Reservoir Open House, from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at the Kuna High School Commons.
I would hate to see us just do what we always do — throw some gravel on the ground and call it a parking lot, put up a shed and call it an interpretive center, haul in a Port-A-Potty and call it restrooms.
I’d like to see plans for public spaces, lawns, trees, paved trails, rows of benches, a place where residents can go to relax and feel like they’ve gotten away from it all.
What’s it going to take? I know no one is going to want to hear this, but tax dollars. Donations and phantom developer dollars are not going to get something like this done. It’s going to require public dollars from Ada County, the city of Kuna and the city of Meridian. The question will be whether we as taxpaying citizens value something like this enough to pay for it.